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(No Modei.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

c. NICHOLSON; COMBINED HAND AND FOOT POWER FOR SEWING MACHINES. No;303,180. Patented Aug. 5, 188 1.

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WITNESSES l/VVf/VTOI? N PETERS. Phulolilhcpaphqrv Wahingbn. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2v {No Model.)

0 NICHOLSON.

GOMBINED HAND AND FOOT POWER FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 303, 180.

Patented Aug. 6

WINS/88158 N. PETERS. PhoinrLRh-uguphcr. wurmgton. ac

* UNITED STATES PATENT CHARLES NICHOLSON, NEIV YORK, Y.

COMBINED HAND AND FOOT POWER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,180, datedAugust 5,188%.

Application filed June 16, 1884. (No model.)

55b all 1071,0712, it may concern: Be it known that 1, CHARLESNIcHoLson, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Hand andFoot Power for Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebelng had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which--liigure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing-machine table having myimproved hand and foot power applied to it for driving thesewrug-machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a sewing-machine table,showing the position of the hand-power with respect to the foot-power.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hand and foot mechanism drawn on anenlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a detail of the bifurcated locking devic fordisengaging the hand-power gearing when it is desired to operate thefoot-power.

This invention relates to .mechanism for driving sewing-machines andother light machinery; and it consists in a novel combination of partswhereby a foot-power and a handpower are practically combined and soarranged that either can be conveniently used for driving asewing-machine at the will of the operator, as will be fully understoodfrom the following description when taken in connection with the annexeddrawings.

A designates a rectangular metal frame, which is cast withjournal-bearings a a and b b for two shafts, which are geared togetherat right angles to each other, and which is cast with lugs 71- 71.,through which lugs bolts are passed that secure the frame rigidly to thelegs or frame B of the sewing-machine table. The journal-boxes b b areon the transverse bars of the frame A, and they afford bearings for anendwise movable shaft, D, on one end of which is keyed a bevel-spurwheel, G, and on the other end is applied a hand-crank, F, which latteris located in a convenient position to a person sitting at the machine.The bevel-gear G engages at times with a bevelpinion, H, keyed on atransverse shaft, I, which has two hearings in the boxes a a. This shaftI has keyed on one end, outside of the frame A, a belt-wheel, J, towhich is secured wrist-pin c. On this wrist-pin is applied thepitman-rod K, and to said rod is attached treadle'L, by means of whichthe operator can drive the sewing-machine with the foot.

E designates a double collar,which is keyed on the endwise shaft 1),near the outer journal-box, Z), and E designates a lockingcatch which'ispivoted to the frame A by means of pin f. This catch 33 is constructedwith a bifurcated end,c, adapted to straddle the shaft D between theouterjournal-box, I), and the said collar, and hold the wheel G in gearwith wheel H, as shown in Fig. 3. A pin or handle, g, is fixed to thelockingeatch, and ex tends through a slot made through the front door ofthe case N, as shown in Fig. 1. The arm 6 of the locking-catch isarranged so that by swinging this catch on its pivot its bifurcated endcan he lifted from shaft D, and its arm 6 can be caused to strike theback beveled side of the catch and press the shaft D outward, so as todisengage wheel G from wheel H. By reversing the movement of the catchthe said wheels can be geared together.

It will be seen from the above description that when the wheels G H arein gear, the machine can be conveniently driven by turning the crank Fwith the right hand, while with the left hand the work can be guided. Bydisengaging the gear-wheels the machine can be driven by the foot of theoperator without the extra labor which would be re quired if the crankrevolved. I thus com bine in a single machine a handpower and afoot-power, either of which can be employed. By reference to Fig. 2 itwill be seen that the hand-power is applied in a case on the right-handside of the machine, where it will be out of sight and out of the way.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is- I g I 1. Acombined hand and foot power for sewing-machines, consisting ofdriving-shafts 9 ing-fraine, the shafts provided with gears,the beveledcollar on the endwise movable shaft, the crank thereon, and the lockingshiftingcatch therefor, substantially as described.

3. In a combined hand and foot power for sewing-machines, thecombination,with a sew ing-maehine frame or table, of the frame A,bearing two shafts, the gears on these shafts, a hand-crank thereon, abelt-wheel, and a treadle and pitman connected therewith, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

4. In a combined hand and foot power for sewing-machines, a frameprovided with two transverse bearings for the belt-wheel shaft, and twobearings for the hand-crank shaft and also provided with lugs forsecuring the frame to a sewing-machine, in combination with and adaptedto receive the hand-power and the foot-power, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a combined hand and foot power for a sewing-machine, an inclosingcase or housing below the table-top, a frame secured thereto CHARLESNICHOLSON.

\Vitnesses:

\V. R. Knrwon'rn, F. 0. hoOLEARY.

